The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1887-05-20
MENAGERIE MEALS.
HOW TUE ANIMALS IN A BIG CIR
Gus ARE FED.
Big Chunks Of Meat. Tons ofHay and
Barrels or Water Slowed
Away The Elephants
Dainty Method.

Barrels OF Water Slowed
Away The Elephants
Dainty Method.
The basso profundo of the menageri
roared- The roar was resonant, reverbei
ant, fearful. 1t proved that captivit
had not injured his vocal organs. Judg
ing from the effect, he certainly knel
how to locate his tones. Then he yawne,
and showed a very open countenance an
some very suggestive teeth, and also per
miited very brief glance into the ret
cavern from whence came the roar. II
sat upon his massive launches, dignifie,
and kingly, and looked out of his gloriou
eyes at the people who had paid fift
cents 10 see him without winking. Sud
denly his nostrils dilated. There wa
something in the wind. That somethin.
vas the scent of blood which lurked il
the fbres of tifteen-pound chunk of raw
beef. A man il 4 check jumper cam
toward the cage, carrying a pail contain
ing four OF these chunks. The proud
beast forgot his dignity and moved IN
easily about the front of his cage, lashine
his tawny sides with the paint tut
at the end Of his tail. The fifteen-pount
chunk OF beef was lifted on the tines O.
big fork and thrust between the bars O
the cage. His royal highness grabbed
it between his mighty forepaws; bu
he couldn't pull the meat int,
the cage because there was a biz
bone in IT, Then he laid down. Hold
ing on to the meat with one paw, h,
thrust the other paw out through the bar
and tried TO push the meat inside. Wher
he found that his efforts were in vain he
lay still and uttered sub-cellar growl,
which indicated that he meant business
The man in the check jumper came to his
relief with the big fork. After good
deal Of prying and thrusting, the mea
was released and the regal gourmanC
licked 1t with his great red tongue. Then
he bit about a pound Of meat and bone
of one corner and crunched it between
his iron jaws. He partly closed his eye.
in evident delight as the generous juice.
ran over his palate After eating all tn,
meat he licked the bone as clean as a bran
new milk pan; then he licked his chops
and lastly, his paws. After this genera
clear-up he looked at his keeper as if tC
say:
"old fellow, that trife only whets my
appetizer
Come over in this corner and see the
sea lions take dinner, y said Tody Hamil
ton.
The two black, glistening animals were
tumbling over each other in their tank,
and uttering curious, impatient banks at
the delay Of the man whose duty it was
to throw thirty pounds of smelts, herring,
or other fresh fish to them each day.
When the caterer arrived he dexterously
threw whole fish into the tank, which
were caught in the air by the sea lions.
and Swallowed whole at a gulp.
The big grizzly bear, most magnii-
cent specimen of the Americans gigan-
ticus, was engaged in scratching the back
Of his neck with oneof his hind feet when
the little Poonah bear, who is his cage
mate, told him the dinner hour had come
by his significant sniff The grizzly could
not have been very hungry, for he clasped
the Poonoh in friendly embrace, which
must have started the little bears ribs, ii
was so very cordial.
That's nothing" said Mr. Hamilton
''if you will notice the under side of the
little fellow you will see that his fur has
been removed entirely by those little at
tentions of the grizzly. It's fun for the
big fellow. The trouble is that he don't
realized his strength"
The two bears disposed of their shares
? Of beef in jify. On Eve days in the
week all the carnivora are fed on beef.
Each Saturday their diet is varied by an
equalamount of liver. The liver is said
TO have beneficial effect inregulating the
health of the animals. The hyenas were
fed with rations out Of hand by the keeper,
and they acted very respectfully consider
ing their unsavory regulations OF all the
animals, those of the cat species behave
the worst while feeding. The native
ferocity of the royal Bengal tiger-and
she is beauty, with tawny hide marked
with black stripes-came TO the surface
as she dallied with her bloody piece Of
beef. Her glistening eye, sinewy move
ments, and the snakelike suggestiveness
of her slowly tail were infalliblC
indications that captivity might blunt but
could never eradicate her desire for blood.
She has gained the distinction Of having
killed her man, but her appetite is keen
every morning and renewed every even
ing. The panthers, iaguars, and wild
cats all share alike in the amount of
food, and all exhibit an equally ferocious
appetite. The monkeys are fed on milk,
bread, and vegetables. They are not at
all ayerse to succulent onion now and
then, even if it is eaten without salt.
OF the herbiverous animals, the hinpo-
potamus comes first in the amount con-
sumed. This blood-sweating monster eats
about half bale of hay each day, with an
occasional dessert in the shape of bran
mash, carrots, cabbage. etc, and he
drinks half a hogshead of water, and
still he's thirsty. But of all the animals
none can compare with the elephant for
the dignified ease and grace with which
he environs his grub. His wonderful ten
sile trunk twists wisp of hay out OF a
bSle, curls it up as daintily as a lady
would twist her cambria handkerchief,
and thrusts it upward and inward into
his mouth with daintiness which is in
comparable. They drink in pairs These
mountains of flesh march along to the big
tank with stately dignity and decorum
which conveys the idea that they realize
they are the biggest things in the flesh
They are in no hurry about drinking.
either Everything in the neighborhood
Of the tank must be touched; even the
dydrant is carefully examined by the SEN
sitiyc trunk The ordinary everyday ele-
plant takes a snifter of two gallons at
first, and keeps on repeating the dose IN
til he is outside of from eight to ten buck
etfuls. Then he goes back to his place
among his twenty-nine companions, and
resumes his hay, If it is hay day; is not,
he eats an occasional cabbage, or carrot,
or a half bushel of potatoes, as the case
may be. One old veteran never drinks
from the tank. He wants his drink fresh
" tapped, and so he turns on the water
cock, and drinks from the spigot.
On Sunday all the animals fast, not
from choice, but from necessity. This
fast is regarded as physiological ne
cessity by the keepers, and is religious
" observed.
"And they know when Sunday comes
Just as well as you do,n said one Of
the keepers. "Yon'd natcherelly think
they'd be ravenous ea Monday morn
ing; but that's Just where ye're off.